Platinum acts Tori Amos and Collective Soul, as well as gold-certified artist Poe, have left their longtime home, Atlantic Records.

After more than a dozen years at Atlantic, Amos is negotiating a deal with Epic Records. "It was time to find a new energy with a new point of view," says Amos' manager, Arthur Spivak. "It's almost like a child leaving for college."

Spivak says that even though he and Amos feel the need for the change, it is a painful departure. "We leave with a lot of sadness," he admits. "Atlantic has been a wonderful partner, but when you stay with a label for a long period of time, people see you in only one way."

Spivak says Atlantic will continue to work Amos' September release, Strange Little Girls. Amos' six Atlantic albums have sold 5.5 million units in the U.S., according to SoundScan.

Atlantic Group co-chairman/co-CEO Val Azzoli says it was a mutual decision for Amos to depart. "Her contract expired, and both Tori and I thought that it was better to try something new," he says. "It was a very happy divorce; we had a nice long run. We're getting a greatest-hits [record] out of it still."

alternate version of the article

Billboard.com(US, www)
November 15, 2001

Daily Music News

Edited by Jonathan Cohen / November 15, 2001, 11:10 AM

Tori, Collective Soul, Poe Exit Atlantic

Tori Amos, Collective Soul, and Poe have left longtime home Atlantic Records, Billboard Bulletin reports. The moves come as parent company Warner Music Group (WMG) says goodbye to two executives, including producer David Kahne, who helmed Paul McCartney's new Capitol set, "Driving Rain." WMG has also shuttered dance imprint Strictly Rhythm U.K. and its Groovilicious U.K. subsidiary after just nine months of operation.

Amos -- whose six Atlantic albums have sold 5.5 million units in the U.S., according to SoundScan -- is negotiating a deal with Epic. Her exit from the label is described as a mutual decision. Despite positive reviews from critics and fans alike, Amos' latest Atlantic set, "Strange Little Girls," is languishing at No. 146 on The Billboard 200 in its eighth week, and has yet to place a single on any of Billboard's airplay charts. Amos is on tour in North America through Nov. 20 in San Diego; 15 European dates begin Nov. 27 in Paris.

Meanwhile, Collective Soul's manager, Farshid Arshid, says the group asked to be released with two albums left on its contract. The band, which will record its next album before shopping for a new deal, has sold close to 6 million units in the U.S. Its final Atlantic set, "Blender," opened at No. 22 on The Billboard 200 in October 2000; the best-of set "7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits 1994--2001" debuted at No. 50 on the same chart in October.

As for Poe, manager Paul Fishkin says she was stunned to be let go since Atlantic had just picked up an option on her next album and was getting ready to release a new single from current set "Haunted." That album topped out at No. 115 on The Billboard 200 last November and featured the single "Hey Pretty," which hit No. 13 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.